Georgetown township lies in
the second tier of counties from the southern border of
Vermilion county. It has the Indiana state line as
the eastern border. The vermilion river runs
across its northeastern corner for about five miles with
a bed so deep down as to drain the surrounding country.
The Little Vermilion makes a short term in its southern
border. This township was important territory in
the first years of the life of Vermilion County, the two
most used roads of this part of the state running
through it. The road known as the state road from
Vincennes to Chicago ran directly through the township
and the "Salt works road" over which the product of the
salt works was hauled into the settlements of western
Indiana, ran directly across Georgetown township.
The Cairo division of the N. Y. Central lines runs
through the town following and parallel to the old state
road. This road was formerly known as the Paris
and Danville road, the John Short road, and the
Danville & Southwestern R. R.
Georgetown township was originally all timber, and it
attracted early settlement. The heavy timber, the
good water supply, the general lay of the land and its
nearness to the salt works all tended to draw settlement
that way. Later the third portion along the
western border and from the center of prairie land, made
this township one of the fine farms. The first
settlement was made by Henry Johnson, in 1820, on
section 36, just two miles west of Georgetown.
This was the year that James Butler made his home
at what was afterwards known as Butler's Point.
Achilles Morgan came to Vermilion County and
became a settler of this township in 1825. This
immediate neighborhood was called Morgans.
Morgantown and Morgans Neighborhood.
Brooks Point (now Kelleyville) was settled about this
time. This township was blessed with a large
number of the Society of Friends coming into it and
bringing their institutions. It was the part of
the county which in the early times made greatest
promise of merchantile progress.
[pg. 395]
The class of people who settled in Georgetown township
were such as appreciated the value of schools. The
Georgetown seminary was the institution this part of the
state at that time.
Georgetown village was laid out in the spring of 1826,
two months after Danville was surveyed. The first
plat contained four blocks of eight lots each. The
only two streets were State street, running north and
south and was a portion of the old state road, and West
street which cross it at right angles. The plan of
the village was the idea of a hollow square such as was
followed in the plat of Danville and some of the other
early villages. There is a difference of opinion
in regard to the origin of the name of Georgetown.
Some think it was named for George Beckwith, the
brother of the man whose name was given to Danville;
while others, with as much reason probably, assert that
Mr. Haworth gave the town, which he was laying
out, the same name as that of his son who was a cripple.
The first building in Georgetown was a doctor's office,
the next house was a blacksmith shop.
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